Re: Not much demand for Model As at any price or is it antique cars in general?
 

Easy to explain..."It's a mental disorder"
You don't have to take an original car and "hack n hue", "chop n channel" it to make a rod, you can do the same thing with fiberglass and it looks just the same.

But there is help...For just $19.95 a month you can help these poor souls overcome this debilitating condition.

So please give generously to the:

"Right the Rodder's Back to Reality Campaign"
Together...We can find a cure

Re: Not much demand for Model As at any price or is it antique cars in general?
 

Nobody stores a classic firearm in a garage or attic for that matter.
What I was stating was that a car, any car is a large complicated machine that needs lots of car..It is unlike a classic firearm which you can oil and hang on your mantel.

Re: Not much demand for Model As at any price or is it antique cars in general?
 

Restored Model A's or T's no longer hold any interest for me. I wouldn't build one or buy one at any price. What does excite me these days are original survivor cars and traditional model a hot rods either from the period or built to mirror the early hot rod days. So from my perspective I see much less interest in restoration.

Re: Not much demand for Model As at any price or is it antique cars in general?
 

Fun to read through most of these thoughts. First of all, there were about a billion '29 roadsters made. They're just a notch above tudor sedans on the trip the needle desire scale. I'm on my fifth. Absolutely love them, but they are what they are. So there's that.

Second, a phenomenon we saw 20 years ago and continue to see; We were post-war Lionel collector-operators at that time, and the internet did a number on the prices of that stuff. Who knew there were so many Lionel outfits!! I think it's had a big affect on Model A's also. First of all, there's so many other pretty things to look at that can do 60 all day long and not self destruct, and second of all, my goodness, there's a LOT of Model A's.

Re: Not much demand for Model As at any price or is it antique cars in general?
 

Model A was my first car. Probably be my last as well!

Re: Not much demand for Model As at any price or is it antique cars in general?
 

How true this is, I remember back in the '70s, driving on the freeway I would frequently see cars of the late '50s traveling to shows and events. Beautiful sights they were, the magnificent Forward Look Mopars, Cadillacs, Continentals, etc. Nowadays it is extremely rare to see one of these cars on the road, or at a car show period for that matter.

Re: Not much demand for Model As at any price or is it antique cars in general?
 

"Fun to read through most of these thoughts. First of all, there were about a billion '29 roadsters made."

think Pluck would disagree on that number......... :)

now talking about cheeseburgers sold through ronald.....................that's another story!

Re: Not much demand for Model As at any price or is it antique cars in general?
 

As to the spirit of the thread, demand is relative to price(or vise versa) and both are subject to disposable income. To a certain degree.

I need a grant to study how the value of a Model A is a reflection of the overall economy.

Re: Not much demand for Model As at any price or is it antique cars in general?
 

That may sound nutty, but I would not be surprised if Uncle Sammy threw a few hundred thousand into a valuable study like that.
If you do get the grant give me a call, I would love to do my internship in that field of study.

Re: Not much demand for Model As at any price or is it antique cars in general?
 

my model a was given to me but not the first car/truck offered to me from a relative. i passed on a 59 edsel ranger and a 48 jeep body on a 64 chassis. I took on the model A because of parts availability and cheap cost. I also so love the look of a car with running boards. but dont know if i would have taken on a buick or packard. knowing that parts are probably hard to find and expensive. when someone hands you an old neglected car that needs a little bit of everything it will cost a lot of money and time.

Re: Not much demand for Model As at any price or is it antique cars in general?
 

We tend to become like the "RUFFIANS" we hang with---Hang around with A Model Guys & shortly, YOU OWN ONE!
Bill W.

Re: Not much demand for Model As at any price or is it antique cars in general?
 

Same here .....

Re: Not much demand for Model As at any price or is it antique cars in general?
 

Good thoughts. Today's paper's article by Malcolm Berko the Financial Advisor mirrors what's being said here. He states though, that for every 'Economist' and their predictions there is an 'Anti-Economist' that will argue the opposite. Very true. But he did say again that the U.S. economy is poised for a Recession in the next 12 months, and he explains 'why' very well. But it always bounces back eventually so no need to fret and wring your hands.

He DID state that the REAL number of unemployed folks between the ages of 18-35 are actually 37% not the 5% we are constantly lied to about. That would have an affect on collector car values! It was something like 28% during the Great Depression but today politicians and the press play magician with the truth so that we don't panic. They lie to us (surprise huh;)

So, I guess the thing to do is bank your cash and wait because if you want to snag a good deal on (fill in the blank what car you like) it's right around the corner! bad for the seller.

Re: Not much demand for Model As at any price or is it antique cars in general?
 

I submit it to all, that there are MORE model A s (and T s) around now than there were 20 years ago. The source of this is the barns of America. I would estimate approximately 100 a year are released from hiding, unseen and unknown about for maybe 60 years. Then suddenly they're back. If I'm correct with my estimate, that would be another 2000 cars in existence. So that's 2000 more cars to be restored and swallowed up in a market that some believe is diminishing. Think about it! Prices are rising!
Terry

Re: Not much demand for Model As at any price or is it antique cars in general?
 

Not wishing to start a fire, but I, for one, would welcome prices continuing to fall on Model A's. With a young family and a number of volunteer hobbies/causes I'm involved with (no extra time for a second job), spending $10-15k on a Model A certainly isn't in the cards right now. Buying a parts-pile for $500 could happen, but that turns into a time issue (pretty busy looking after lots of other rusty metal). Granted-these are all my own problems, of my own causing.

While I will certainly agree that a number of people my age (I'm 32) would have next-to-no interest in an 85 year old car or truck, there are a few of us around who are still into rusty old metal ;) That said, I can't help but feel that many people of my generation are in a similar situation, even if we do have a decent job. Cost of living (housing, student loans, food, etc) keeps going up all the time...

Some random thoughts.

Re: Not much demand for Model As at any price or is it antique cars in general?
 

That is understandable, Colin; although I do think pretty good deals are already available to one with patience willing to turn some stones over. I also think with your generation physical location is another factor, a lot of younger people are interested in urban life, and even those who may not be it seems are buying real estate a little later on. This alone is a big factor in terms of getting into the hobby.

We are in a semi-rural place now and recently toyed with getting a little more in town. One of the main reasons it won't be happening is the desire/need to park 5 cars which in some areas is just not practical. There are other considerations besides the initial cost of a car that adds expense to this hobby I think a lot of times gets glossed over - ample proper storage is a big one in addition to ongoing maintenance costs, etc. I think, like horses, it is a little easier to be in this hobby in a more rural location. Not that city folks cannot participate, but just one of those things. I used to keep my TR-6 across town at grandmas when we got our first house, it had no garage, but not everyone has an option like that and self storage can be pretty expensive.

BTW, I suspect you already know this but what matters, Colin, is what interests you, not what the other 95% of those under say 40 are doing, I believe, from my interactions with Model A, T, Full Classic and sports car people that plenty of younger people have an interest. May not be most, but does it really matter as long as you have comeraderie of others regardless of age group? That market, whatever it turns out to be will determine long term values.

Re: Not much demand for Model As at any price or is it antique cars in general?
 

Somebody from our local club sent me this link which I thought germane to the current thread. Some of you may be familiar with this dealership, but it was news to me. As many of you suggest, the not-so-antique cars seem popular, but imagine the A's that could be purchased for these prices:

http://www.rkmotorscharlotte.com/sal...ory/active#21/



Mike

Re: Not much demand for Model As at any price or is it antique cars in general?
 

Where I work kids between the ages 18 - 35 all have jobs but none of them work